Ph4ntom's Blade Ratings/Reviews
Back to ph4ntom's ProfileHere are Ph4ntom's ratings and reviews. These ratings are useful because Ph4ntom has his/her own standard and will rate and review the ping pong equipment accordingly, giving you accurate and useful ratings and reviews to aid you in your next online purchase.
Andro (1) 
 |
Andro TP_Ligna Def
|
||||||||||||||
Review of Andro TP_Ligna DefAndro TP Ligna Def : only 74g! / approx. headsize : 163x156mm / Freq : around 1.035 HzThis is a masterpiece of a blade, every single angle has been sanded. Outer plies are thick and very robust (no risk of tearing out fibers). Build quality is very high, among the best I ever seen. The handle is not on the big side, it's a bit smaller than Victas Matsu's and BTY Diode's. Before glueing any rubber, I was a bit worried about speed (1.030 Hz) ; after 1 month of testings, I can say that this is not a specially fast blade but I never felt it was lacking nor limitating my offensive strokes at all. I used my usual rubbers for the test : FH Victas V>15 sticky (2mm) / BH : Stiga Vertical 20 (0,5mm) The evidence is that it is a high flex, high dwell time blade. The feeling of catching that ball is really obvious and the most clear I ever had. Meaning : 1- all defensive strokes are very controlled, the touch is very soft and precise. 2- Opening topspin is incerdibly loaded, it's impressive! 3- Flat hitting was difficult and required some adjustments. TP Ligna Def is clearly designed to maximize spin (under or top) and control. Two things truely impressed me : the ease of opening topspin and stability for chopping (both sides). Those who love stiff/hard blades won't appreciate it at all! Personally, I will test forward since I really appreciate this blade a lot. Aug 18, 2026 | |||||||||||||||
Butterfly (3)
 |
Butterfly Innershield ZLF
|
||||||||||||||
Review of Butterfly Innershield ZLFA soft feeling but a stiff blade! ZLF layers provides stiffness to this blade, but with a very soft feeling wich is GREAT.IMHO, Innershield ZLF is suited to LP with sponge, at least 0,5mm, and a medium to hard backside. My personnal setup is : Grass D-Tecs (0,5mm) and Hurricane 3 Neo (orange sponge). I managed to solve the equation of the plastic ball, wich was hard as hell and led me to try so many material... The end has come with this blade and those rubbers. One of my favorite blades ever, although it's in the expensive side... Jun 12, 2021 | |||||||||||||||
 |
Butterfly Innershield Layer ZLF
|
||||||||||||||
Review of Butterfly Innershield Layer ZLFSame review as "Innershield ZLF" since it is the same blade but the next generation.A soft feeling but a stiff blade! ZLF layers provides stiffness to this blade, but with a very soft feeling wich is GREAT. IMHO, Innershield ZLF is suited to LP with sponge, at least 0,5mm, and a medium to hard backside. My personnal setup is : Grass D-Tecs (0,5mm) and I moved back to Mark V HPS (2mm). I managed to solve the equation of the plastic ball, wich was hard as hell and led me to try so many material... The end has come with this blade and those rubbers. Talking about speed, i'd say that Innershield Layer ZLF is not a slow blade at all, but not as fast as Joo or Matsushita Offensive. Very balanced for chopping or attacking in any circumstances. One of my favorite blades ever, although it's on the expensive side. Jul 03, 2021 | |||||||||||||||
 |
Butterfly Hadraw Shield
|
||||||||||||||
Review of Butterfly Hadraw ShieldWell, this blade was not on my radar but I had the opportunity to buy a second hand Hadraw Shield, almost new, so I gave it a try. First of all, this balde is not slow, and suited for the plastic ball. I played during years with Matsushita Pro Model (MPM), and i'd say that Hadraw Shield is a sort of upgrade of MPM : a bit harder, a bit stiffer, a bit faster, but with the same DNA. I am almost confused because I just wanted to test it, but I really enjoy how good it is! Choping is great on both wings, I noticed that LP becomes really dangerous since Hadraw Shield enhance low trajectory while defending and agressive/disruptive pushes. Power while attacking is hughe... Nothing is bad! I just like it, Hadraw Shiel design is simple but really lovely to me.[My PL is definitely Tibhar Grass D-Tecs (0.5mm) since the P-ball, and main backside is Mark V HPS (2mm) / sometimes Evolution MX-P (1,8mm)] Jul 03, 2021 | |||||||||||||||
DHS (1)
NO IMAGEUpload an Image
|
DHS Classic 08X
|
||||||||||||||
Review of DHS Classic 08XDHS 08X tested with Straight handle (hard to find). Caracteristics : 7 plies blade including 2 very thin inner carbon layers. weight is 89 g / oversized head : 164 x 155. A very purified design wich I really love! The handle is pretty big and very comfortable due to the 5,9mm thickness of the playing surface. I found it to be pretty stiff, coming from more flexible defensive blades like Stiga Defensive Classic or VKM. Harder too, but still in the soft side. For exmaple, 08X is less stiff and less hard than JSH or Diode. It is an intermediate between Stiff/Hard blades (JSH, Diode...) and Flexible/Soft (Def Classic, Koji Matsushita...), as stiff as Matsushita Special but with a softer touch. I played it with my usual rubbers (Hard offensive rubber on FH / Long pips 0,5mm on BH). Well, it is an excellent blade, very stable in defense and short game, with a crispy feeling on topspin. Inverted side (FH) : chops are flat, suprisingly easy to do with consistancy. Hughe thumbs up! Opening loop / topspins : needed a few adjustements since the dwell time is different, shorter, with a throw angle lower than my usual racket. Speed is not particularly high nor slow, I never found it lack of speed nor to be too fast for me. Pimple side : flat, flat and flat trajectories! Very good at far distance for chops, more tricky for pushes close to the table (adjustements needed). Heavy underspin balls require adjustements, but the ball you return is very deceptive. Overall, a beautifull simple design blade with good personality. I like it, I will test it further for sure! To be continued...May 27, 2023 | |||||||||||||||
Dr. Neubauer (1)
 |
Dr. Neubauer Barricade DEF
|
||||||||||||||
Review of Dr. Neubauer Barricade DEFThe best defensive blade ever for someone who loves high flex and balsa feeling.Very light, the softest feeling ever seen, huge control... Definitely an amazing creation from The Doc! Of course, Barricade shines at chopping but it is an excellent blade for blocking and it has enough power to counter-attack or kill any point. I do not suffer any lack of power while attacking; that's why Barricade Def is the best blade for modern defense to me... I use to play with Vega Pro (1,8mm) on forehand and LP on backhand. Underspin seem to be increased by blade conception: pushes and chops are amazingly hard to loop. A tactical weapon, made for defensive players who like soft and high flex baldes with max control and very good offensive power. AWESOME Nov 30, 2013 | |||||||||||||||
Stiga (2)
 |
Stiga Defensive Classic
|
||||||||||||||
Review of Stiga Defensive ClassicI tryed a second-hand Def Classic, for fun. I bought a brand new one less than one week later! This is an excellent defensive blade for modern defense, since it has all the qualities required to me. Weight : 80g, size : 165x155. The handle (straight) is awesome because it is full-wood inside, meaning that the whole racket is very well balanced (not head-heavy). The size of the handle is perefect beacause just a little bit bigger than average.This is a soft feeling balde, which I appreciate a lot since I don't like hard blades like Joo, Diode etc. Soft but not too flexible : I think the blade, although the feeling is soft not hard, is pretty stiff. That allows a pretty good speed and I never feel that the balde is too slow ; to me, the balde is very stable but pretty fast in offensive actions. For comparison with Stiga Defensive Wood NCT, Def Classic is significantly faster but with a similar soft touch. I tried it, I adopted it right away! (BH : Vertical 20 0,5mm / FH : DNA Pro 2,1mm) EDIT 06.2023 Comparison between Stiga Def Pro (test) and Def Classic (my regular racket), same rubbers on both. Speed : Pro < Classic / Tense trajectories : Pro < Classic / Absorbing strong topspins : Pro > Classic / Chops with inverted : Pro > Classic / Percussion : Pro < Classic. Pro is awesome to face powerfull players since it is super stable and absorbs powertopspins like a dream. Chopping with inverted is super satisfaying. But trajectories tend to be more bended, less flat and tense than the Classic version especially with the pimple side... Pro has less percussion in attack too. The typical soft touch is similar between Pro and Classic, maybe more extreme on Pro. They both give you many informations while contacting the ball wich is super pleasant. Stability is awesome on both, with a bonus for the Pro version. Hard choice, hard choice... Jun 24, 2023 | |||||||||||||||
 |
Stiga Defensive Pro
|
||||||||||||||
Review of Stiga Defensive ProStiga Defensive Pro, straight handle : 88 g, 2 inner ultra-thin carbon layers.I will compare it to Stiga Defensive Classic wich is my main racket for the last seasons : Pro is 8-10 grams heavier with the same oversized head (165 x 155). I wanted to try the carbon version of the Great Def Classic, expecting a different feeling and a higher speed. Well, surprisingly, the feeling is pretty much identical : soft touch, barely stiffer. I found it slower than the Classic version, wich is probably the biggest point! Rubbers are the same as my usual setup (Vertical 20 / DNA Pro H) so the comparision is revealing : Pro is a bit slower than Classic. Chopping is even more consistant with this blade, although Def Classic shines at it. I will continue playing both to make a better idea, but for the moment I prefer Def Classic over Def Pro since I am used to it... EDIT 06.2023 After several sessions comparing Def Pro and Def Classic with same rubbers on both, I ended up with some conclusions. Speed : Pro >= Classic / Tense trajectories : Pro < Classic / Absorbing strong topspins : Pro > Classic / Chops with inverted : Pro > Classic / Percussion : Pro = Classic. Pro is awesome to face powerfull players since it is super stable and absorbs powertopspins like a dream. Chopping with inverted is super satisfaying. But trajectories tend to be more bended, less flat and tense especially with the pimple side... At first I found that Pro has less percussion than Classic, but I ended thinking that it was not correct. When you engage and unleash the power of the DNA, Pro has a superior topend speed. But for passive shots, Pro feels slower. They both give you many informations while contacting the ball wich is really what I am looking for. Stability is awesome on both, with a bonus for the Pro version. I love both very much! Decisions, decisions... Jul 13, 2023 | |||||||||||||||
Tibhar (1)
 |
Tibhar Genshu L
|
||||||||||||
Review of Tibhar Genshu LOnly for japanese market :-( Weight : 88g / Size : 165x156. The blade has a soft feeling and is quite flexible. Definitely not for those who like hard and stiff blades like JSH or Diode. But for others, it's an interesting blade with 7 plies, including 2 red colored outer plies. The hanlde is very comfortable since it is full-wood inside and bigger than average (straight handle). This is a good defensive blade, not slow at all, not the fastest but faster than average. The blade conception is supposed to increase the efficiency of long pimples, especially Tibhar Grass D-Tecs. I personnaly use it with other LP for modern defense (more grippy and slower than GDT). I didn't noticed a hughe difference in terms of toxic effects, maybe more tense trajectories but I'm still wondering and testing...I feel comfortable with the blade, wich I would compare to Stiga Defensive Classic (the one that I'm using for the past seasons). Stiga's blade is a just little bit stiffer, but the soft touch is very close, the speed is comparable such as the overall stability. As a conclusion : a (very) rare blade with unique design and many qualities for defensive players who like soft feeling : very satble, very balanced and secure, no lack of speed. I like it! Apr 22, 2023 | |||||||||||||
Victas (3)
 |
Victas Koji Matsushita Defensive
|
||||||||||||||
Review of Victas Koji Matsushita DefensiveVKM Defensive, straight handle - 80g, 166x155. Not that slow! I was expecting a super slow blade but it is not much slower than VKM. At first, the feeling is a bit surprising : thin and quite stiff racket, with some flex but still on the hard side to me. Chopping both wings is super comfortable and stable, as expected, so as short game. I am also quite satisfied with topsins in general. In fact, nothing wrong with this racket, except that I am not used to its feeling yet, coming from very soft touch and more flexible defensive blades... I will continue testing it for sure. // Update 2023.11 : I moved to this blade, coming from Stiga's Defensive Pro. I really love VKM Defensive since it is even more stable at chopping without loosing any offensive possibilities. I am now used to its feeling, perfectly balanced. Outer plies are pretty soft and give a flexible touch, but the core is stiff and hard, allowing endless topspins when needed. I never felt that this blades lacked of speed whereas its stability and control are hudge. Rubbers currently glued and definitely adopted are : Curl P1V 0,5mm and V20 Double Exrta 2mm.Jan 09, 2024 | |||||||||||||||
 |
Victas Koji Matsushita Special
|
||||||||||||||
Review of Victas Koji Matsushita Special(Mine is only 84g.) It took me a few hours to get familiar with the feeling : something stiff compared to other Matsushita blades, but still with a soft touch. On the forehand side (usual VS401, 2mm), it was immediatly satisfaying : control is high, speed is more than enough (ALL), everything went like a dream. At first try, the backhand was a little bit strange (usual Curl P1V, 0,5mm) : surprisingly slow. Even comparing to KM Defensive, I had to constantly go foreward with the pimple espacially on short game and service receives to avoid the net. I bet it's a matter of throw angle since the overall speed is not super slow... Chopping with LP needed a few adjustements to obtain tense trajectories. After 3 sessions, I get some hudge underspin with a low trajectory and finally pushes are pretty disrupting for opponent. KM Special is a very stable blade for choppers, the balance between control and power is one of the best to me.Dec 21, 2023 | |||||||||||||||
 |
Victas Koji Matsushita ZC
|
||||||||||||||
Review of Victas Koji Matsushita ZCKM ZC straight handle - 86 g. The grip is super comfortable - same as the new Victas Koji Matsushita (blue/black) : bigger than average (31mm X 24mm), and shorter (97mm). Overall feeling is close to Victas Koji Matsushita Special wich I love much : we can feel a stiff part in the core with a lovely softer touch from the outer plies. Both are very stable for chopping both sides ; for now, I would give a tiny bonus to ZC over SP for consistancy. The first impression is that SP may have a lower throw, with less arc than ZC. Neither ZC nor SP lack of speed for attacking, those are very balanced blades for choppers who attack much without sacrifying control. I will continue testing both (same rubbers : VS>401, 2mm / P1V, 0,5mm). If playing properties are confirmed, I can easily see me adopting the ZC for his lovely grip...Jan 08, 2024 | |||||||||||||||
About
Founder StoryBlog
Shop
Retailers
Dictionary
Contact
© 2026 Flipspun Inc.
Formerly the Table Tennis Database
